MA MasterCard Incorporated

SINGAPORE, May 11, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - MasterCard has been announced as the headline sponsor for this year's Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity - the first time the Festival has partnered with a brand to celebrate excellence in creative communications from across the region.

Both Spikes Asia and MasterCard have a long-standing commitment to championing great ideas, and exploring how technology enables creativity. Sam Ahmed, SVP Head of Marketing, MasterCard Asia Pacific said that it was these aligned objectives that had made the partnership possible.

"Creativity and technology underpins everything we do at MasterCard, and is the driving force that makes us the world's most advanced payments technology company," Mr Ahmed said."This is the reason it gives us such pride to work with Spikes Asia. We believe the fostering of creativity and new technology by the Festival will inspire innovation in marketing that benefits the industry, brands and consumers."

Commenting on the partnership, Terry Savage, Chairman, Spikes Asia said, "MasterCard have been innovating and inspiring their customers for nearly 50 years. Their investment in technology and creativity is something that lies at the very heart of what Spikes Asia is about and this association will help us push the boundaries of creative communications in the region even further."

To shape the 2016 content programme, the Festival will gather a diverse group of industry innovators to share their insights into the future of technology, possibilities on the horizon and their impact for branded communications.

Mr Savage further announced some changes to categories this year. Entertainment has evolved from, and now replaces, Branded Content & Entertainment and Music is a new award. Campaigned-for and designed by the industry, it recognises and celebrates the creative production, promotion and distribution of content with music at the core.

"The industry is growing and restructuring in response to, and in advance of, the needs of consumers. For some time music and entertainment have been the key to cutting-through," he said. "These new awards will celebrate content that has evolved into culture and completely captivated audiences."

Spikes Asia registration and entries are now open and further details can be found at www.spikes.asia.

Key 2016 Dates --

Delegate registration: Open
Earlybird registration deadline: 13 July, 2016
Entries: Open
Entries deadline: 22 July, 2016
Spikes Asia Festival dates: 21 - 23 September 2016, Suntec, Singapore.

About Spikes Asia

The Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity, celebrating and inspiring Asia-Pacific creativity in advertising, Suntec City, Singapore, 21-23 September 2016.

Building on 28 years of the illustrious Spikes Awards, the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity is the result of a collaboration between the Lions Festivals, organisers of Cannes Lions, Lions Health, Lions Innovation, Lions Entertainment, Dubai Lynx, AMES and eurobest, and Haymarket, publishers of Campaign Asia Pacific. The Festival provides the region's growing creative and advertising industry with a platform to network and exchange ideas, bringing together some of the finest creative thinkers from across the region and around the world.

The Awards, judged by leading international and regional creatives, honour the best creative work in the categories of Film, Creative Effectiveness, Print & Publishing, Outdoor, Radio & Audio, Digital, Integrated, Direct, Promo & Activation, Media, Music, Digital Craft, Print & Outdoor Craft, Film Craft, Design, Mobile, PR, Entertainment, Healthcare and Innovation. For more infomation, please visit www.spikes.asia.

Source: Spikes Asia

Contact:

Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity
Kate Furey
Head of Communications
katef@lionsfestivals.com

Marian Brannelly
Press & PR Executive
marianb@lionsfestivals.com
+44 20 3033 4000

http://www.spikes.asia 
http://press.canneslions.com

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